Summary: The closer you follow Christ and emulate Him, the more you will walk in the spirit and be filled with the Spirit. WE need a perpetual infilling of the Holy Ghost. KEEP ON DANCING!

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Interject this about worldly dancing and Holy Ghost dancing. David said… 2 Sam 6:21 It was before the Lord!

Difference

Mt 14:6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

Tonight: Keep on Dancing

Paul has been talking about how we should walk in an evil world, so that the way we relate to those of the world would not be in such a way as to participate with them in darkness, but rather to let the Light of Christ manifest itself to them through us.

The ultimate purpose, of course, not being to bring condemnation on them, but in hopes that some will repent and believe the good news.

Now, he turns his attention to the church and begins to instruct us as to how we ought to be relating to one another as Christians, and he will tell us what condition must exist in order for us to do that.

1. First off, we must make

A DISTINCTION

Looking back first at the Old Testament, we know that the Spirit of God came upon some Old Testament characters for the accomplishment of a purpose. In those cases it was a temporary filling, and it was for the specific task at hand.

There are many examples in the Old Testament of the Spirit coming upon men or women in this way; for prophesying, for accomplishing tasks and so forth.

After the day of Pentecost, when the Comforter had come and all believers were Baptized with the Holy Ghost we see them ministering to people, and there is visible evidence of those people receiving the Holy Spirit.

Just as HE made a difference in the believer’s life back then, HE still makes a difference today!

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Notice what I emphasized? HE The Holy Spirit is the 3rd PERSON of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is not just an influence. So many seem to talk about being filled with the Spirit as if the Holy Spirit were some kind of liquid. They talk about having an ‘empty vessel’, an empty jug, and having the Spirit poured in. That is entirely wrong because it forgets that the Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not a substance, not a liquid, and not a power like electricity.

We all tend to fall into this error. We even tend to refer to the Holy Spirit as ‘it’, forgetting that the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the blessed Holy Trinity.”

So with that in mind, that puts a new meaning into “Be Filled with the Spirit”

You remember Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

You know why he could go through that terrible stoning? Because he had the Holy Spirit within him.